Yesterday's Pain
by feudalman
Summary: After a dark series of events, the group is heading home for some relaxation, but Kagome is suffering and Naraku is determined to take advantage. Can Inuyasha save her? Or will they both be destroyed by Yesterday's Pain?
1. Two Lives, One Soul

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**_Chapter 1_**

_**Two Lives, One Soul**_

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_"Finding myself to exist in the world, I believe I shall, in some shape or other, always exist."  
-Benjamin Franklin_

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_THE DAYS WERE GROWING DARKER... _Clouds of a lethal miasma tainted the skies. The light of the sun no longer penetrated the seas of poison that permeated the air around the castle.

Naraku smirked. _'Just one more left,'_ he thought. Ever since he had taken Koga's jewel shards, his powers had increased. However, until the sacred jewel was complete, he would not be able to take advantage of its full power. Once he killed Kohaku and took his sacred jewel shard, the power he currently wielded would be nothing in comparison. Still, even before any of that happened there was more pressing matters at hand.

His gaze went down to his hand to reveal the nearly complete Shikon no Tama. The jewel was tainted black except for one point in the center of the jewel, where Kikyou's purity remained. It irked him to no end, the fact that even though Kikyou was finally dead, her influence remained. If he were to complete the jewel now, Kikyou's light would engulf him. No matter how much shouki he drenched it with, the light still remained. This puzzled him. Kikyou was dead; her powers should not hold sway over anything if she no longer walked among the living. Something was keeping her powers on this world and he had no idea what it was. That didn't matter though, he would find a way to fully taint the jewel, and when he did Kikyou would finally, at long last, be out of the picture.

"Naraku,"

Naraku didn't even have to turn to know who had spoken. "What is it Byakuya?" he drawled.

"It seems that Sesshoumaru was recently in a fight, and something the demon that he fought said something that clearly upset him" Byakuya answered "His anger seemed to be directed towards Inuyasha"

Naraku turned to look at him. "I see," he remarked. Byakuya's right eye was missing, the eye was probably on its way back to its owner, having just given Byakuya the information he had just revealed.

He turned back around but not before Byakuya saw the jewel's condition. "Ahh," he said, "Kikyou, left you a little problem, I see"

"She certainly has an irritating knack for thwarting me"

"Do you have any idea what she was trying to accomplish?"

Naraku frowned. "Isn't it obvious? She intended to stall my efforts of completing the jewel, since she can no longer protect Kohaku." He said "I cannot complete the jewel until this speck of purity is removed. Whether she is indirectly protecting Kohaku, or simply trying to stall my efforts, I cannot say for sure." While Byakuya paused and considered that, Naraku turned back to thought.

'_So what is my next move'_ he thought '_Kikyou has left me this spot of purification on the Shikon no Tama and I have no idea of how to undo it. If only—' _Suddenly Byakuya spoke.

"That doesn't sound like something Kikyou would have done" he said "If it were me I would have told Inuyasha and the others how to wield the purity in the Jewel before I died, Kikyou isn't the kind of person that would have died just to have prolonged your efforts.

Naraku glared at him, "What other explanation could there be?" he snapped.

"I am simply pointing out that I think there is more to this spot of purity then you think there is" Byakuya replied, his hands up in a peaceful gesture. Turning to leave Byakuya left Naraku to his own devices. Naraku wasn't in a particularly pleasant mood, and he had seen what he had done to Kanna. There was no way he was going to suffer the same fate as his sister.

Byakuya's words echoed in Naraku's head.

Now that he thought about it Kikyou **had** said something before she died, some thing he hadn't really thought about until now.

"_We will see who has truly lost... once you are dead"_

She had threatened him.

On her deathbed, Kikyou had **threatened** him.Was it as Byakuya had said? Was this really another plot to purify him using the sacred jewel? Kikyou's eyes had held nothing but truth. That could mean that she was merely overconfident, but still...

But if it was true, how did this threaten his life? Did she really think that he would be foolish enough to bond the jewel with his soul if it held even an ounce of purity? Surely not, but what other explanation could there be? Hadn't she wanted him to complete the jewel? Hadn't she wanted to use Kohaku's shard to purify him? And now since Kohaku could no longer be protected by Kikyou's purity she had…

His eyes widened in realization. That was it! Kohaku couldn't be protected by Kikyou any more, meaning his shard would be at least _somewhat _tainted, which made his shard useless. So she left a backup plan instead. She didn't want to complete the jewel anymore because that would mean wasting Kohaku's life.

No.

That still didn't explain why Kikyou's power remained in the jewel. Maybe he was just jumping to unnecessary conclusions and their plan was the same as ever; protect Kohaku as best as they can, and in the end, use his shard to purify him. It made sense, Inuyasha and the others had no idea that he knew what Kikyou's plan was. The only thing that would change was that Kagome would have to purify him, not Kikyou.

NO!

That still didn't explain why Kikyou's power still held sway in this world. There **had **to be something else. Something he had overlooked. Something that Kikyou had thought he wouldn't see. Naraku stood up and slowly started to pace. Kikyou's original plan was to use Kohaku's shard to complete the Shikon no Tama, which would purify him and the jewel. Since being with a demon wasn't the purest of actions his shard was corrupted. It may not be very much (Sesshoumaru was not an evil demon, despite what he wanted everyone to believe.) but even the slightest hint of evil in his shard would foil there plan. For now the closest thing to purification was Kagome's arrow--

'_Wait a minute'_….

'_Kagome!'_

All of a sudden it all made sense. He was a fool not to think of it before!

Kagome was Kikyou's reincarnation, in order for them both to exist in the same world they had to share the same soul. So where was the part that Kikyou had? He realized (though it produced the same results) that this wasn't Kikyou's power. It was her soul! And because Kagome was still alive, the light inside the Shikon no Tama would not disappear because the rest of the soul was still among the living!

Not only that, but Kagome was well equipped to destroy him. She had the powers to see and purify the jewel, along with the ability to shoot sacred arrows. Since her soul would be drawn to its owner, it would be a simple matter to shoot one arrow… and purify him forever. It was obvious now that Kikyou had left the job up to Kagome. With the spot of purification in the jewel, Kohaku's shard was no longer needed; **Kagome could purify him right now! **Staring at the jewel's spot of purity, he realized what had to be done.

'_Kagome must be killed.'_

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"Are we there yet?" 

Shippo had grown restless on the journey back to Kaede's village. No one could really blame him. He was, after all just a kid, and for him, walking hours on end didn't appeal to him very much. It wasn't that he got tired. Shippo was a fox demon; he had canine blood rushing through his veins. Demonic canines had the most endurance of all youkai. No Shippo was just utterly, immensely, and entirely _bored_. No one could blame him… He was after all just a kid.

Which is why Miroku calmly answered him for probably the eighth time, "No Shippo, we are some way off yet"

Grumbling Shippo hopped onto Kirara's transformed back.

Miroku sighed; Shippo was the only one who wasn't bothered much by recent events. It's not like he expected him to, but it was frustrating to see someone was most worried about how _bored _they were. Boredom seemed like a soothing massage compared to what he and the others were feeling.

He himself had the Kazaana. He had no idea when he would need to use it next, and the scars were getting dangerously close to his heart. If he wasn't careful, he wasn't going to last much longer. The pain he was no longer able to feel was both an advantage and a disadvantage. The advantage being his ability to use the Wind Tunnel continuously without feeling pain, the less obvious disadvantage was that he no longer could tell if he was overusing his Kazaana or not. Perhaps it had been a mistake to drink the poison that Yakurou Dokusen had given him. Still, what was done was done, and he couldn't say that he regretted the decision. He would do anything to protect Sango even if it meant sacrificing himself. But nevertheless he feared death. Anyone who didn't was, indeed, a fool.

Sango had her brother to worry about. Kohaku was not exactly in the safest of situations. Traveling with a ruthless inu-youkai, who was most likely not taking his safety into high consideration, was never safe. It wasn't that he doubted Sesshoumaru's ability to protect someone; he had proven himself more than capable of protecting Rin. The question was if he **wanted** to protect Kohaku. If he did then they hardly had anything to worry about, but if he didn't… Even Kirara seemed uneasy about what Kohaku's fate would be if that was the case.

Inuyasha had the most obvious distraction. Kikyou's death had been hard on them all, but Inuyasha was taking it hardest of all. Not that he didn't expect that. It was a horrible thought, watching a woman you cared for die twice. He couldn't even fathom what it must have been like for him. Things had gotten better since the incident with Kaou, but he knew that Inuyasha still mourned for her. He could see certain sadness within his eyes that had not faded since her passing.

Kagome…. Kagome was a mystery. He couldn't quite put his finger on it but something was definitely wrong with her. Ever since the incident with Kaou, something about her had changed. He didn't understand it, from what he could see, the only thing Kagome had to worry about was her exams. Yet, she was the one that spoke the least. She was the only one who had lost her appetite. And he was damn sure that she was having nightmares, if her tiny whimpers at night were any indication. She seemed to be suffering the **most**! What really bothered him was the fact that he had no idea whatsoever about what was bothering her. But the main thing was that something **was** bothering her, and she—like the rest of them—were in need of some well deserved relaxation.

Shippo was the only one who seemed unbothered by all that had happened. Inuyasha was right; Shippo had no worries. It wasn't like he expected him to.

He was, after all, just a kid.

* * *

"Naraku are you sure about this?"

Naraku frowned, "Byakuya, could it be that you are frightened?" he asked

Byakuya scowled "Be not a fool I have no fear of humans. But I personally think that this is a waste of time. Wouldn't it be easier if you simply killed the girl?"

Naraku shifted his eyes to look at his offspring. "Easier? Maybe, but certainly not as entertaining."

Byakuya shook his head, "Your theatrical tastes may one day prove to be your undoing."

With that he produced a paper crane and took off.

Naraku smirked, perhaps Byakuya was correct. However he had other reasons as to why he was doing what he was doing.

Though the spot of purity within the jewel was a soul, it still held power. Why put such power to waste? The soul that resided within the jewel was the part of Kagome's soul that inhabited Kikyou. The two were connected. If one was pure so was the other. This was why he could not taint the center of the jewel. Kagome had a pure soul.

However, if the larger part of the soul (The part that Kagome possessed.) were to become tainted then so would the light that was in the center of the jewel. But what really intrigued him about the plan was that if he succeeded, he would not only possess a once again fully tainted jewel. He would also possess a certain miko, a miko who went by the name of Kagome.

Naraku smirked, sometimes he amazed even himself.

'_Byakuya, return Kagome to me unharmed, and when you do Kagome's soul and powers will be mine.'_

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A/N: Well that does it for chapter 1. I readily except that Rumiko is nothing short of a genius. However, sometimes she leaves loose ends, which make me feel like there was more that could have been said. Who knows though, maybe she's planning to address all of that at the end. But this story slides in nicely with the rest of the original plot. This is my first fanfic so please review to let me know what you think.**

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**WARNING! Spoiler ahead!**

If you don't want to read the spoiler just go straight down to 'next chapter'

Spoiler:

_Closer, the night whispered a treacherous sin, an endless torture… A guilty conscience._

"_You've been having nightmares haven't you?" _

_Kagome opened her eyes to see Byakuya looking at her with a malicious gleam in his eyes._

"_Very well" he said "Naraku is sure to have fun with you"_

_With a feeling of dread she looked down and watched as they plunged into the darkness that was Naraku's barrier_

_

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_

_The conflict begins in chapter 2..._

_**WHISPERS OF A GUILTY CONSCIENCE**_

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-Disclaimer: Inuyasha belongs to Rumiko Takahashi. I claim no owner ship of the original characters in this story nor do I profit from their use. 


	2. Whispers of a Guilty Conscience

_**Chapter 2**_

_**Whispers of a Guilty Conscience **_

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"_There is no witness so terrible, no accuser so powerful as conscience which dwells within us."_ _-Sophocles_

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_SPIDER WEBS…. _

_She was surrounded by them. _

_They suffocated her, blinded her. _

_She tried to run, but no matter how far, or how fast she ran they kept getting thicker and thicker._

_She started to hear things, she couldn't discern the words but she didn't have to._

_Naraku's cruel laughter… Kikyou's cries of pain…_

_They were relentless, and deafening. _

_Yet they were like whispers so that she had to strain to hear them._

_But she didn't want to hear them! _

_So she kept running, and running as the webs got thicker and thicker._

_Eventually, the webs got so thick that it formed a solid wall and she couldn't run any more._

_She tried to press forward, but it was hopeless. _

_So she surrendered herself to the tainted webs. _

_As if sensing her submission, the webs started to attach themselves to her body._

_There was no escape, she couldn't breathe, couldn't think, only suffocate._

_She felt the hope draining out of her, as the webs tightened even more around her small form._

_She was drowning, but she couldn't die, for an emotion was ripping through her entire being._

_No matter what she did the feeling was always there._

_It angered her, and the webs fed off of it, producing more of the nauseous feeling that threatened to envelop her._

_And still the webs tightened more and more, as this one emotion festered in her body, mind, and soul._

_An emotion she couldn't shake… couldn't stop... so powerful that it could only be called one thing…_

_Guilt._

**O-O-O-O-O-O-O**

_KAGOME WOKE WITH A START… _Her eyes darted around the campsite for the treacherous webs that haunted her as she breathed heavily.

She sighed. It was just a dream, no not a dream, a nightmare.

'_Ever since that incident with Kaou, I have been having these nightmares. The same one every time'_ she told herself.

Her eyes looked around the campsite once again, slower this time, to look at her sleeping companions. Shippo had taken too sleeping on Kirara's back, largely due to the fact that he had grown so much over the past few months (though not no much that he couldn't be carried on everyone's shoulder) that he no longer could fit inside the same sleeping bag.

Sango was near Kirara too, slumbering on the sleeping bag she had managed to bribe Souta for, making sure she put a good ten feet between herself and the lecherous monk that would soon be her husband.

Her eyes drifted to the other side of the camp where the said monk slept, leaning on a tree, legs crossed and his staff leaning against his shoulder. His cursed hand lying on his lap closed in a tight fist with his other hand wrapped tightly around it. A habit he had picked up on recently of which she was starting to get _very _suspicious of.

Slowly her eyes lifted up to the tree to rest upon the object she sought after more than anything else.

'_Inuyasha'_

He slept like he always did, one leg straight, one leg bent, with Tetsusaiga propped against his shoulder, with his dog ears giving off the occasional flick. Her eyes remained fixed upon him, partly because she wanted to see if he was really asleep, partly because she just loved to look at him.

After she was satisfied that he was truly asleep she got up, stretched, and started to walk to no where in particular. She needed to gather her thoughts and she didn't know if she could think about the things that were bothering her if _he_ was nearby. So she quickly, but quietly, left the campsite, careful not to stray too far.

As she walked her thoughts drifted back to the nightmares.

Since that dreadful night, sleeping had never been more frightening. It was always the same one. Evoking the same emotions out of her, anger, sadness, jealousy… She shook her head, disgusted with herself. Kikyou was dead, and Inuyasha was suffering and she had the gall to be _jealous_ over him being saddened by her death.

'_He would never have been this heart broken if you were in her position._

Kagome's eyes widened.

'_What?_' she asked wearily, a familiar dread forming in the pit of her stomach.

'_You know what you truly dread in those nightmares. You fear pain, you fear… __**him**__!' _Images began to appear in her head.

_A flash of red and white stood in the flames, her view slightly shrouded by the webs…_

_Brilliant gold held an awful hatred… Brilliant gold slowly turned red…_

_An enormous amount of pain surfaced in her gut and she felt life draining away._

Kagome fell to her knees, holding her, begging for the pain to stop, as the images replayed over and over… _Red and white… Brilliant gold… Red again... Excruciating pain… Nothing…_

And suddenly the pain was gone as if it had never existed. With shaky knees she stood back up and the voice spoke again.

'_You shouldn't feel guilty' _it said, almost softly. _'You are not to blame, you are not at fault. If you should feel anything, feel anger, for __**him **__not being there!_

Kagome shook the voice from her head, and at her command it disappeared. It was weird, it was like it was her own voice speaking to her inside her own head. Yet there was something different about it. Something much more malicious, maybe that's why it scared her so much.

Shaking slightly, she wondered what he would say if he knew what she had just experienced… what she had just _thought_… what she-

"Oi wench!"

She yelped and turned around and brought her arms up in a defensive gesture.

Inuyasha looked at her bewildered. _'What the hell is she so scared about?'_ he wondered. Kagome put her arms down when she saw who it was, though Inuyasha saw hesitation in her movements. "Sorry" she said, stepping slightly back "I just woke up and I couldn't get back to sleep."

Inuyasha studied her with a look of confusion in his eyes. Something was really bothering her, he couldn't quite put his finger on it but _something_ had happened to her recently. She had grown quite, her appetite had disappeared, and now, here she was looking at him in a way that didn't sit well with him. Her eyes held confusion, guilt and something that didn't make sense at all. Something that he never thought that she would feel towards him, at least not _now_.

"Did I wake you?"

Inuyasha was ripped away from his thoughts rather abruptly at the sound of her voice. Giving her a look of slight surprise before he went back to his usual cocky self he replied, "Keh, I knew you were awake the whole time wench."

Inuyasha heard her sigh as she walked past him, brushing his shoulder with a little more force than was necessary. '_He never called __**her**__ wench.' _she thought bitterly. "I'm going back to bed Inuyasha" she said. He didn't miss the hurt in her voice.

Inuyasha paused too watch her leave, stunned. '_What the fuck? What in the seven hells is wrong with her?' _He took it upon himself to find out.

"Wait" he said.

Kagome stopped and slowly turned to look at him. A look in her eyes that was so unlike her. He didn't understand it, it was _scaring _him!

He abandoned the asshole act. He needed know what was wrong! He may be dead useless when it came to reading other people's behavior, but even he could see that something was bothering her!

"Kagome what's wrong?" he asked with uncharacteristic softness, "Something's been bugging you lately and I want to know what it is."

Kagome looked at him with searching eyes and for a moment Inuyasha thought he was going to get a clean answer. But then she sighed and said, "Nothings wrong Inuyasha"

He wasn't going to give up that easily "Kagome I—"

"Nothings wrong!" she snapped.

Inuyasha blinked at her sharp tone.

Kagome treated him to a soft smile in apology. "Nothings wrong" she repeated softly "Lots of things have happened lately and… I just need some rest," and with that she started walking back to the campsite.

Inuyasha sighed; she obviously didn't want to talk about it. So he left it at that and followed Kagome back to the campsite. When he got back he saw her climbing into her sleeping bag. Giving him a nod of acknowledgment, she lied down on her side and closed her eyes. Inuyasha looked at her for a moment then shook his head, returning to the boughs atop the tree in a single bound.

"Inuyasha?"

"Hmm?"

"Goodnight"

Inuyasha paused to look at her and allowed himself the slightest of smiles, taking care that Kagome didn't see it. "Keh, night wench" he replied nonchalantly. Inuyasha heard her sigh again in response.

He frowned

The sigh reminded him of the look she had in her eyes when he had surprised her. It confused him as to why she would look at him that way even after she knew it was him. It had been so long since she looked at him that way. He never expected to see it again, not since… Inuyasha looked down at the rosary beads.

'_Not since these'_

He remembered it like it was yesterday…

"_Now hand over the jewel and I won't have to sharpen my claws on you" he said popping his knuckles noisily._

_When she didn't respond he took a swipe at her, "I hate the smell of you!" he roared._

_Since he really and truly didn't want to kill her he let her keep dodging him but his patience was thinning. "GIVE ME THE JEWEL!!" he screamed lunging at her. The next thing he knew the subjugation beads were on his neck and Kagome said the fated word._

"_SIT BOY!"_

Inuyasha smirked a little, though it had annoyed the hell out of him back then, thinking back on it now it seemed a little funny. Shaking his head he thought to himself,_ 'Just drop it you were probably just seeing things. There's no way she looked at me that way after all the shit we've been through.' _With that final thought he dropped his head and tried to get some sleep.

But no matter how hard he tried he couldn't the look of her eyes out of his head. Not a look of anger, or hurt…

_But a look of fear… _

**O-O-O-O-O-O-O**

Shippo, unsurprisingly, was the first to wake. Darting around the camp like a bat out of hell, screaming and yelling, trying his hardest to liven up the dampened spirit of the group, "Come on guys wake up! What's taking you so long?! Come on why all the long faces? Why—

His efforts were halted, with a large thump courtesy of Inuyasha's fist. "Stuff it runt," he growled. Grumbling, Shippo obliged and stalked off to nurse the sizeable lump appearing on his head.

Breakfast was quiet now that Shippo had calmed down, courtesy of Inuyasha's fist, but it was very uncomfortable. Inuyasha watched Kagome _very _carefully, noting that she barely touched her ramen. Kagome caught him staring and asked him if he wanted hers.

Inuyasha seriously considered it for a moment, but then shook his head "Keh, you eat it wench"

Again he heard her sigh. _What the fuck was up with her sighing so much lately?! _Watching her give her food to Shippo, an offer he greedily accepted, he had to restrain himself from hitting the runt again.

When they finally got on the road again things seemed to be looking up a bit on the social side of things.

Shippo had gotten thumped one too many times and had decided that enough was enough. Moving with surprising speed he had leaped onto the back of Inuyasha's head bared his small, yet sharp, fangs and _bit his ear_! Inuyasha howled in pain, holding the abused appendage atop his head. "You are _so_ done for, ya fucking runt!" Inuyasha snarled, tearing after Shippo as the said kitsune yelled abuse at the hanyou over his shoulder.

The humans in the group couldn't help but laugh at the sight of Inuyasha chasing Shippo. With one clawed hand rubbing his ear; the other outstretched making snatches for his prey while Shippo taunted the enraged half-demon. Even Kirara seemed to be amused and gave off a purr like snort.

While the half-demon was much faster than the kitsune, Shippo's size worked to his advantage and was agile enough to avoid Inuyasha for some time. After a few minutes of yelling, chasing, and a few _very_ rude insults, Inuyasha finally managed to get a few fingers on Shippo's bushy tail. Before Shippo could get away, Inuyasha closed his hand and picked him up none too gently.

Putting his face close to Shippo's until their noses were almost touching he whispered, "You have _no _idea how big of a mistake you just made runt"

Shippo gulped…

A few minutes later Shippo was still wailing. Kagome did her best to patch up what Inuyasha had done to _his _ear. "Tha- that h-h-hurt Kagome!" he sobbed. Kagome smiled sadly "I know Shippo, but you know, fairs fair. You really shouldn't have bit his ear. You know how sensitive they are. You actually hurt him that time."

Shippo's tears dried immediately and he grinned, "I did, didn't I?" he said rather smugly. Kagome giggled and replied "Mhmm"

With the mood lightened up a bit the day passed by a little more quickly than usual, despite it being rather uneventful. Little did they know that come nightfall, the despair they had been trying to take a break from would come roaring back in a way that none of them had ever experienced before. They were in for one _hell_ of a night.

Let alone the fact that no one seemed to notice the flying eye that shadowed them as they traveled.

**O-O-O-O-O-O-O**

'_Damn that Naraku and his pleasure of torturing people, it would be so much simpler if we could just kill the girl' _Byakuya said to himself as he soared to his destination on his signature carrier, the paper crane.

Byakuya grinned; this ploy was so evil it made _him_ shiver at just the thought of it. He knew that if Naraku's plan succeeded, all Naraku would have to worry about was Sesshoumaru and that _scary _Miedou attack he used. Everyone else would either be dead or too emotionally damaged to carry on.

As his eye flew back into its socket he smiled wickedly and pressed forward knowing that this is where fate would decide the fortunes of everyone involved in this miniature war.

**O-O-O-O-O-O-O**

Dusk was approaching fast, and the group started to look for a place to bed down. Today's trek was much better than their previous ones; the air tingled with their laughter. Even Kagome had seemed more cheerful which is why she tried to start a conversation with Inuyasha. "So… Inuyasha how far is it to the village?" she said hoping he would respond.

"Keh, I don't know wench just don't talk to me right now" he replied none too kindly, still irritated with the ear incident.

Kagome however, took it differently.

Normally she wouldn't have been that offended, but these were hardly normal times. In a time when she felt herself sinking, in a time when she needed someone to reassure her that things were going to get better, she had been insultedThe change in mood was fast and hard. The pain was deep and lingering. The tone in his voice bringing images that haunted her into conscience mind. Tears that she knew shouldn't be there were starting to form. She had been brought down from what little height she had gained. Looking away quickly, she couldn't say anything else but "oh…O.K."

And with those two small words the nightmare began…

Inuyasha heard her response, and to say that he was shocked was a _huge_ understatement. Usually he would be eating dirt by now, instead she sounded hurt! It wasn't like he had _meant _it. He was still pissed at Shippo! But, before he could turn around to ask what the hell was wrong with her, all hell broke loose.

Demons… hundreds of them swirled around the clearing where they were about to make camp. Their sudden ominous presence blocked out what was left of the day light, and before they knew what was happening, they were on them.

Cursing foully, Inuyasha turned around to face a particularly large chunk of the youkai army that charged at him _en masse_. Inuyasha drew his sword and cut loose the Tetsusaiga's signature attack.

"_WIND SCAR!"_

Deadly arcs of flaming energy met the charging youkai, and with a flash of brilliant light they were destroyed. With a large chunk of the army gone it should have been easy to pick off the stragglers. But their surroundings worked to the demons advantage. Closing in quickly, the rest of the demons began their assault.

Inuyasha swore again. Their enclosed surroundings made it impossible to use the_ wind scar_ or any other special techniques without injuring his friends. He had to pick them off individually. Kagome had quickly thrown Shippo into the underbrush and taken out a few demons on her own, standing with her back against a broad tree so that none of them could get at her from behind.

Still, Inuyasha didn't dare leave her unprotected seeing as she wasn't exactly adapted to close range combat. He swung his sword outwards, opening the belly of two demons. Using the momentum, he pivoted sweetly and brought up the Tetsusaiga in a smooth arc, beheading his next target.

It's not like these demons were strong or anything, but there were so damn _many!_ After putting a particularly gruesome end to a couple more demons, he looked to see how his friends were fairing

Sango was taken by surprise the most, considering the fact that a certain monk had thought it might be a good time to fondle Sango's rump. In her anger she failed to see a worm-like demon flying towards her. She paid for her ignorance with a deep gash in her side; Sango returned the favor, introducing it to her hidden blade. Other than that however she looked to be holding her own. She was standing back-to-back with Miroku who was twirling and slashing his staff at a speed that was impressive for a human, while throwing sutra's here and there. Kirara was doing her part as well, biting and clawing at any demons that got to close. Kirara was an experienced and lethal fighter but she was being highly underestimated, demon after demon threw themselves at her, expecting to swat her aside easily; none lived to tell the tale about their fatal mistake. After he was satisfied that his friends were O.K, he returned to the task of dispatching as many demons as he could.

The battle ensued for several minutes, and by the time they were done Byakuya had already made his appearance. "Well, well, looking lively as ever I see, Inuyasha."

Inuyasha twisted around to see Byakuya standing on the top boughs of one of the trees. "Byakuya!" he snarled, pointing the great fang at the new threat, "Where the hell is Naraku, you bastard!"

"Now, now, no need to get hasty, the fun is just beginning" he said with a shit eating grin on his face. Inuyasha growled, "Well if you won't tell me where he is then…"

He leaped at a frightening speed towards his opponent, "I guess there's no use I have for you!" Inuyasha and the others expected to see him run away like he usually always did.

Then again, he didn't come all the way here for nothing.

"So uncivilized" he muttered as he produced a leaf from his sleeve. Tossing it up in the air the leaf gave off a small 'pop' and smoke seemed to come out of nowhere. Once the smoke cleared eight Byakuya's were sneering at him. Inuyasha swung his sword at the one nearest to where the original once stood. With a _poof _of smoke it disappeared revealing he had struck the wrong one.

"Shippo!" he yelled, "which one?!"

The fox demon squinted at the seven Byakuya's, opening his mouth he shouted "Inuyasha, I—"

A roar of demonic energy exploded right where the kitsune stood. With a yelp Sango rushed over to save him. Thankfully, Shippo had seen the blast and had leapt out of the way at the last second leaving him unconscious but otherwise unharmed.

As the others breathed a sigh of relief, Byakuya giggled evilly.

Inuyasha _immediately _noticed what he was laughing about. The illusions were gone, and the real Byakuya stood behind them… _holding an unconscious Kagome! _"Tut, tut, couldn't let the kitsune give away my position now could I?"

"LET HER GO, YOU FUCKING BASTARD!!!" Inuyasha roared.

Byakuya looked up and smirked, "Sorry, but no can do dog-boyNaraku has found value in this girl, and I am in no condition to disobey his orders."

And with a puff of smoke he was gone…

**O-O-O-O-O-O-O**

_The spider webs were back… _

_And so was the guilt…_

_It stretched her out then crushed her with mind-numbing force…_

_But this time the nightmare went further into the realms of despair…_

_She saw the flash of white on red…_

_She saw golden orbs staring at her with loathing._

_A voice echoed in her head…_

_Three words broke her heart, pieced it back to together, and then shattered it once more…_

"_I blame you" it whispered in a dreadfully familiar voice…_

"_No," she whispered…_

_Another three words brought about her imminent demise…_

"_I hate you"_

_NO!!!_

_She screamed inside her head as she felt excruciating pain in her gut…_

_As she felt the life drain from her she stared at the face she still loved…_

_The tears fell thick now as she screamed "Inuyasha, please don't!"…_

"_You killed her, for that you must die"…_

_Kagome wept pitifully as she begged to wake up from the nightmare, for no torture could ever be so painful…_

_And it started over once more…_

**O-O-O-O-O-O-O**

"There it goes again" remarked Byakuya, as the girl began to thrash in the vines once more.

"Do you know what causes it?" asked Naraku.

Kagome had been placed in a vice grip with vines that protruded from the wall. Byakuya had noticed that she seemed to have had particularly terrible nightmares and showed them straight away to Naraku. Naraku was delighted to see the dream and asked if she had anything else bothering her. Byakuya grinned devilishly and happily obliged. Soon they were witnessing the trek through Mt. Azusa, watching Kikyou die in Inuyasha's arms…

Soon, tears of blood began to trickle down her cheeks which left the two bewildered as they set her through the dreams once again. With one particular phrase popping up frequently.

"_She's gone isn't she? The woman you loved most in all the world… pity that you would want to die right now, just so you can join her"_

Naraku soon discovered that he could use this all to his advantage, with Byakuya's help…

Byakuya nodded, "Flower demon," he said "Feeds on what troubles you the most then gives you an illusion that would ease the victim's pain, in short you would be forever trapped in a fantasy land, energy for the roots that claim her"

Naraku nodded.

"What seems to be troubling her most is a variety of things. Yet they all have to do with Kikyou" he elaborated.

"So it seems that I'm not the only one who is still hindered by Kikyou's influence," Naraku remarked.

"So it does," Byakuya replied, "Guilt, for not saving her, jealousy of Inuyasha's loyalty to Kikyou, and more guilt for feeling that jealousy, all contribute to these nightmares.

"And the dream?" Naraku pressed

"It seems that she fears that Inuyasha is _angered_ with her about all of it"

Naraku raised his brows.

"Sounds ridiculous doesn't it?" Byakuya said, "However, my guess is that it's not completely her."

"Oh?"

Byakuya nodded, "It seems the roots weren't extracted properly, so the effects of the flower demon still remain when she falls asleep"

"And how would one go about extracting them properly?" Naraku inquired

It was Byakuya's turn to raise his brows, "Surely you do not intend to—"

"I merely wish to satisfy my curiosities"

Byakuya shrugged, "Something you care about, remember things that you care about"

Naraku scowled in frustration, the plan he had begun to build in his head crashed around his ears. As if he had read his mind, Byakuya continued, "Although there is a way to block those memories of good will.

Scowl all but gone he looked up, "How?"

Byakuya stepped forward and whispered, "Do what you intended to do in the first place."

Naraku narrowed his eyes, "I do not understand" he replied.

"Use her pain against her. The dreams, Mt.Azusa, Inuyasha holding Kikyou… take all of them and compile them all into one horrifying nightmare… In the end, she'll succumb to the pain and her soul will cease to be pure… along with _that_," he said, pointing at the Shikon No Tama.

Naraku's eyes widened, the air seemingly growing thick with evil. _It made sense!_ Not only would this accomplish his new plan but also his original one. Staring at the jewel he said, "Very well Byakuya, do what needs to be done." Without uttering a word he removed Kagome from the vines and hauled her off to a spare room in which he would perform his evil deeds.

Naraku looked down at the nearly complete Sacred Jewel, smiling evilly.

'_It looks like I have found a replacement for Kohaku,' _he thought to himself.

'_And my first request will be for her to kill Inuyasha.__

* * *

_

A/N: Well that took a little longer than expected. Sorry for the long wait, college is so time consuming. I have to say that despite the fact that he is evil, Byakuya is one of my favorite characters, his sarcastic attitude always give me a laugh. It's hard though, putting him in the situations where he is most entertaining like Rumiko does (another reason why she is such a genius).

The next chapter is a song fic. The song is by one of my favorite bands, The Red Jumpsuit Apparatus. The chapter is also where the _real _angst begins, so don't miss it! And remember this is my first fanfic so please take a minute and tell me what you think.

Spoiler

_A crash echoed through the forest as Inuyasha and the others took cover._

"_Inuyasha," came a cold voice "Surrender to me and I will make your death quick"_

"_Keh," came his reply "Just who the hell are you, and what do you want with me?"_

_He noticed that she stayed hidden in the shadows so he couldn't see her face._

"_One who will bring about the end of you," she answered as she drew an arrow and shot it with pin-point accuracy._

_Inuyasha cursed under his breath as he leaped out of the arrow's path at the last second._

_Setting his sights on the woman, he prepared his counter-attack._

_And that's when the wind changed directions, blowing a familiar scent his way._

_Not believing what his nose was telling him he whispered, "Kagome?"_

_**

* * *

**_

_**An Angst-Filled Chase Begins In Chapter 3…**_

_**CAT AND MOUSE**_

_

* * *

_

_Disclaimer: Inuyasha belongs to Rumiko Takahashi. I claim no owner ship of the original characters in this story nor do I profit from their use. _


	3. Cat and Mouse

_**Chapter 3**_

_**Cat and Mouse **_

_Song Title: Cat and Mouse_

_Artist: The Red Jumpsuit Apparatus_

_Album: Don't You Fake It_

"_Vision without action is a daydream. Action without vision is a nightmare." _

–_Japanese Proverb _

__

* * *

_**Kagome awoke in a dark cellar**_. It was dark, cold, and clammy. Shivering, she noticed that she was in the middle of the room so she crawled to a corner to try and contain her body heat. _'Inuyasha… where are you? Please… help me'_

She was lonely, and scared. The faces of her smiling friends etched in her mind. _She had to get out of here!_

She looked around the room for a way out. She tried tugging on the door but no good. She stepped back and tried to shoot out spiritual power from her hand like Kikyou used to do. But when she spread her hands out and gathered her spiritual power like she did with her arrows, all she got for her efforts were a feeble spark and a backlash of energy in her body, that now had no way of getting out. After that she swore not to try anything spiritual. She tried to bash the door with her shoulder, receiving nothing but a bruise.

She scowled. She was trapped, trapped like a rat.

Her lack of moving around made her grow cold once again. So she huddled in the corner once more gathering her knees in her arms, forcing them to her chest, trying to keep warm.

The door creaked open and light flooded the room. Kagome looked up to see Byakuya standing there with a smirk on his face, "So you have awoken"

Kagome tried to scoot away from him but she was already in the corner, "What do you want," she asked nervously.

Byakuya took a step forward and looked at her and smiled maliciously. "What do _I_ want?"

She nodded

"There are many things that I desire young miko." he replied "I desire power… glory… but most of all… life"

"What do you want from _me_?"

Byakuya grinned, causing a fang to pop out of his mouth. She didn't find it cute, like when Shippo or Inuyasha did it, she found it terrifying. "Just four simple things" he responded.

Byakuya took two more steps before continuing, "Your cooperation…"

Another step

"Your sorrow…"

Another step

"Your fear…"

Another step, he was almost standing directly above her.

"And your soul," he whispered.

Kagome pressed her back against the wall, "Yeah well, you're not getting any one of those things so you can just back off!!" she bellowed. Byakuya chuckled a bit before getting that gleam in his eyes again. "I expected that miko, you have guts and I truly respect that"

"I'm flattered," Kagome spat sarcastically in reply.

Byakuya laughed again, "Just like that miko, just like that! You aren't going to let _me_ have these things are you?

Kagome nodded defiantly. "Which is why…" Byakuya said holding her face in his hands.

"… You'll just have to give them to someone else"

Kagome looked him directly in the eyes and said, "What are you—" Before she could finish she was swept away in a whirlwind of illusionary nightmares.

She saw it… Lived it… Living it once again… Every single time her heart had ached, she was forced to relive it all…

She saw Kikyou extendning her lips to Inuyasha's, wishing they were hers, wishing it was _her_ who was being held like that… She saw Inuyasha swearing to protect her… She was above the pit once again watching Kikyou steal her piece of the sacred jewel, falling into the dark abyss wondering if Inuyasha would care… She watched as Inuyasha held Kikyou vowing to protect her in the clearing of the forest…

_I'm the only one who can protect you, Kikyou_

She saw him stare at her with _that look_ in his eyes, as she ran away knowing that she wasn't good enough, knowing she never would be… She was back under the sacred tree, crying her eyes out as she realized that she _loved _him…

Remembering everything… things that weren't even that sad seemed to explode in her chest… pain she couldn't describe ripped through her body…

She saw herself staring at Inuyasha's dormant form as he peacefully slept… She saw his adorable dog ears twitch at a stray sound in the forest… She heard his arrogant voice that always soothed her… She saw the charming smirk he wore on his face… She saw him standing on a cliff, standing stoic and proud, his hair blowing in the gentle breeze.

Watching… as all the wonderful times she ever spent with Inuyasha… every time he laughed with her… every time he smiled at her… every time he held her… slowly drift away…

_Softly we tremble tonight_

_Picture perfect fading smiles are all that's left in sight_

_I said I'd never leave, you'll never change _

_I'm not satisfied with where I'm at in life…._

Her knees hit the ground eyes shut tight, with her hands on her head, tears streaming from her eyes, "MAKE IT STOP!!" she screamed. She only heard Byakuya's cruel laughter as a response.

She heard Tsubaki's voice telling her that she was a cheap imitation of Kikyou, as she now started to believe… She watched Inuyasha run away, determined to find Kikyou, though she told him to, one solitary tear slowly ran down her face… The horrible feeling of her soul being gripped, tugging at her emotions until she was forced to submit… She heard the infants terrible words echo in her head…

"_It is obvious that he has chosen Kikyou and not you, don't you see that no matter if she's dead or alive; Inuyasha's heart will always belong to Kikyou"_

She watched Kikyou and Inuyasha stare at each other for what felt like an eternity in a field that once held countless man-eating rats… She watched Inuyasha run to her time after time as she lay here forgotten in this torturous land of painful memories.

_Am I supposed to be happy?_

_With all I ever wanted, it comes with a price._

_Am I supposed to be happy?_

_With all I ever wanted, it comes with a price._

_You said… You said that you would die for me…_

She was lying on her side now, curled up in a tight ball trying to protect herself from this pain. But to no avail…

Images of Inuyasha and herself appeared before her… she saw Inuyasha talking with her friends in his bandanna… she saw his instincts take control as he leapt after the stick she had thrown… she saw him laughing with her at Miroku as Sango clubbed him with Hiiraikotsu for letting his hand wander… she saw him give her a smile that he reserved for her, the smile that made her feel special…

The images flipped through her mind as if they were photos in a very special album… She understood now that happiness was something that only lasted for a short time… The happiness she should have cherished while she still had it… Photos that should have brought her joy, only brought the pain of remembering what was lost… it was the end… There was nothing she could do about it, no matter how much she wanted to… She knew that no matter what, there would always be that part of him that belonged to Kikyou…

She saw smiles that were once full of life, now seeming to fade into eternal darkness… She heard laughter that was once so easy to achieve, now seemed so far away… unreachable… In the end, through all the things that they had been through together, she was just playing a hopeless game of cat and mouse… Crying helplessly she watched as every single photo from her special album of happy memories burned in the flames of sorrow and regret…

_We made plans to grow old._

_Believe me, there was truth in all those stories that I told_

_Lost in a simple game, cat and mouse._

_Are we the same people as before this came to light?_

She was in the spider web infested hut again… the memory of Kikyou and Inuyasha together that brought about realizations that she had no place in his heart… She faced the illusions of Mt. Azusa once again… she saw Kikyou tell Inuyasha that she didn't intend to save her, trapped in the spider webs, unaware that it was an illusion… She saw herself dangling from the edge of a cliff while the illusion Kikyou taunted her into near submitting to the darkness of her heart… But when she made her 'brave declaration' her words sounded hollow and false…

She continued to cry helplessly as the sad song of romantic tragedy played its treacherous tune…

_Am I supposed to be happy?_

_With all I ever wanted, it comes with a price._

_Am I supposed to be happy?_

_With all I ever wanted, it comes with a price._

_You said… You said that you would die for me…_

_You must live for me too…_

The dream… The dreadful, horrible, terrifying nightmare became the big finale… The spider webs… The golden eyes, the eyes she loved full of hatred directed towards her… _"I hate you"_

The voice was different… from what she was used too… This voice didn't hold the arrogant tone that she had grown to love… it held only malice…

"_No! Inuyasha please d-don't hurt me!" _she begged,_ "I didn't ask for this! I never wanted this to —" _her voice was cut off as a hand closed tightly around her throat.

"_Then what __**did**__ you want?" _he growled. Hands tightening, his eyes turning crimson, she could practically feel the anger rolling off of him.

"_P-p-please…" _she whimpered, the tears were falling fast now. Never did she imagine such sorrow. Simply looking at the way he stared at her, _knowing _that he hated her. It was all too much to bear. And the worst part was, is that she _still_ loved him! Even if he really did —

And then she felt it, the terrifying pain of a fatal wound. More tears spilled down her face as she continued to look at the face of the man that had brought about the ending of her... the face of the man she still loved. _"I never loved you" _he whispered as he twisted his hand inside of her stomach, causing her to cry out in pain, _"You were nothing but a tool to me, a pitiful reminder of what I lost. What __**you **__took away!" _His hands tightened again, his claws drew blood.

"_Y-you said th-that you would protect me, Inuyasha!" _she sobbed, _"You p-pr-promised! Please don't hate me, Inuyasha this i-isn't what I wanted."_

"_THEN WHAT DID YOU WANT BITCH?!_"he roared again. When she didn't answer he growled and threw her unceremoniously to the ground.

'_A-all I wanted was for you to h-hold me like you held her…_'she sobbed inside her head, '_All I w-wanted was for you to kiss me l-like you kissed her… All I wanted was t-to know what it was like to be… loved…_' The ominous clouds of death blurred her vision. She only had seconds left...

'_I just wanted to be happy... Is that so wrong?_'

_Am I supposed to be happy?_

_If all I ever wanted, it comes with a price_

_Am I supposed to be happy?_

_If all I ever wanted, it comes with a price._

_You said... You said that you would die for me…_

'_I just thought that maybe… …_'

_You said that you would die for me…_

'_I could be someone who could be there for you…_'

_You said that you would die for me…_

'_I just thought that I was important enough…_'

_You said that you would die for me_

'_But I was wrong_'

* * *

Inuyasha bounded through the tree tops after Byakuya. His movements were smooth, calculated, precise. The over-sized crane flew through the air at a speed only the hanyou could overtake, the others lagged behind. 

"I really hate it when stuff like this happens" growled Sango, as she urged the fire-cat beneath her to go faster. Inuyasha was growing more irate by the minute.

'_Kagome, just hold on! Don't you die on me!_'Grunting he flexed his legs again for a powerful bound. _'I swear Byakuya; I'm going to rip that cocky mouth right off of your face! All I have to do is wait for you to make one mistake, and then your ass is mine!_'

It was strange however, the way he had been acting. It was as though he had no idea of where he wanted to go. Sometimes they would go east, and then go west, north, back to east. Sometimes he would go in circles; it was like he was trying to shake him off. Inuyasha snorted at that. Even if he lost sight of him all he had to do was catch his or Kagome's scent, and he would be right back on track. No, Byakuya was many things, sinister, cunning, and evil maybe, but he was not a fool. There had to be something more to this. Was it a trap?

Inuyasha shook his head of all these thoughts. Even if it was a trap, it didn't make any difference. Kagome was more important. Something as stupid as a trap was going to stop him. Images flashed through his mind of Kikyou dying in his arms. He couldn't let that happen to Kagome, he _wouldn't. _All thoughts were dispelled as he heard Sango's voice.

"Inuyasha, look!" she yelled.

Inuyasha looked in the direction of which her finger was pointing and for a minute he couldn't quite believe what he was seeing. Byakuya was… slowing down?

Naraku looked on as Kagome writhed on the floor in pure agony. Whether it was physical or emotional he didn't know. Nor did he very much care. For every minute that went by, the center of the jewel had grown more and more tainted.

He and Byakuya were both able to see the pain she was going through. The dreams broadcasted on the stone wall like the T.V. that neither of them knew would exist five hundred in the future. The nightmare was at its conclusion; she had just been stabbed by the illusionary Inuyasha. Soon she would succumb; it was only a matter of time.

Moments later Byakuya emerged from the room. Kagome had calmed now, her breathing and heart rate were off the charts, but otherwise she looked as though she were sleeping. "It is done" said Byakuya, who looked rather pleased with himself. Naraku looked down at the Shikon No Tama, and sure enough the jewel was black as night.

Naraku looked at his incarnation with his signature smirk. "Byakuya… It is time"

* * *

Inuyasha raced through the trees, landing on a particularly springy branch, propelling him towards his enemy. "This is the end Byakuya!" he bellowed as he outstretched five razor-sharp claws. Byakuya only had time to gasp. 

"_Iron Reaper Soul Stealer!_"

The result was not what he expected. Smoke came out of nowhere and enveloped Inuyasha. Temporarily blinded, Inuyasha fell; landing none too gracefully on his rump. Looking up he saw something floating down to him through the fading smoke. Catching it easily, he examined it and after a moment of investigation he cursed foully.

"What's wrong?" asked a curious Shippo. The others had caught up.

Inuyasha held up the leaf for all to see. Shippo squinted at the leaf noticing that there was writing there. Miroku took a closer look and read the single word that was inscribed upon the leaf.

"'_Baka'" _

Even Shippo cursed after Miroku read the taunting words of Byakuya. "It was an illusion this whole time" remarked Miroku, still staring at the leaf as though it would give him answers if he continued to look at it. "Oi runt!" said Inuyasha, who looked outraged, "Why didn't you tell us it was an illusion! We didn't _have_ to waste all this time ya know!"

"In case you didn't notice _baka_, I was the one who was unconscious this whole time!" retorted an equally maddened Shippo.

"In any case we are even further away from finding Kagome" mused Sango, who — until now — had stayed quiet this whole time.

"THIS GUY THINKS ITS FUNNY!" bellowed Shippo, "YOU BETTER TEACH THIS GUY A LESSON, INUYASHA OR I'LL —" INUYASHA OR I'LL--" He got no further because at that exact moment Inuyasha had forced his head down.

A deafening crash echoed through the forest as Inuyasha and the others took cover. Trees toppled over like bowling pins and a flash of tainted light reflected off the familiar barrier that had suddenly been cast around them. "Inuyasha," came a cold voice "Surrender to me and I will make your death quick"

"Keh," came his reply "Just who the hell are you, and what do you want with me?" The black light was still bouncing around the barrier, ensuring death to anything it touched. But none were in particular danger… for now. He noticed that she stayed hidden in the shadows so he couldn't see her face. The shape of her body looked familiar though he couldn't place it.

"One who will bring about the end of you," she answered as she drew an arrow and shot it with pin-point accuracy. Inuyasha cursed under his breath as he leaped out of the arrow's path at the last second. Setting his sights on the mystery woman, he prepared his counter-attack.

And that's when the wind changed directions, blowing a familiar scent his way.

Not quite believing what his nose was telling him he whispered, "Kagome?"

The air grew seemingly thick with tension at the mention of their missing comrade. Shippo was jumping up and down to get a better look. Kirara looked from Inuyasha to Kagome; she had caught her scent as well and was trying to identify the enemy, seeing as they were both were her friends. Miroku was sweating a bit, trying to make sense of what was happening. Sango's jaw could not have dropped any lower; her eyes could go no wider. The word 'shock' was not nearly enough to describe the look on her face.

Inuyasha stood their impassive, not saying a single word. He couldn't. The on tool that had never failed him before had just told him something that simply didn't make any sense. The cold voice that was so familiar, yet so unfamiliar returned.

"Your silence irks me, half-breed" she said "Or are you preparing for the silence of death that will soon claim you? In that case..." she drew another arrow. "...I shall give you a little nudge over the edge!" she screamed as she released the arrow.

The arrow flew faster than the human eye could follow. Inuyasha sidestepped the deadly projectile but not before it ripped a chunk of his shoulder. Inuyasha gave a short yelp of surprise and pain.

'_This can't be Kagome!' _he thought frantically, '_She's moving at a speed only a demon possesses!' _But as he ducked out of the way of yet another arrow his mind was convinced that it was really Kagome; even if his heart wasn't able to admit it. _Noses don't lie._

The arrows kept coming, and coming. He ducked, dived, sidestepped, everything, but she was relentless. He had managed to avoid a lot of the arrows, even if some of them caught a snatch of his skin. Still, he had not been dealt a fatal blow… yet.

After a few moments of evading the arrows, Kirara had decided her allegiance and pounced on the mystery woman. But not before Inuyasha screamed his objection at the neko-youkai. "STOP KIRARA DON'T HUR —" his words were cut short. He had dropped his guard for a split second, and it had cost him dearly. The arrow shot straight through his chest, knocking him down as he screamed in pain. He collapsed onto the hard surface of the forest where he lay still.

"INUYAHSA!!" screamed Sango as she drew her Hiiraikotsu. But as she did a barrier was cast around her and the others, making it impossible to aid their fallen comrade.

"No need to rush woman" cooed the woman who still remained hidden in the shadows, "Your turn will come shortly, and if you're good I shall do you in next."

Inuyasha groaned with pain. "You can't move can you?" the woman asked, "That arrow held massive amounts of spiritual powers, tainted or not. It has left you completely immobile. I should just kill you right now, but because of the entertainment that you gave me, I shall let you look upon my face as your reward." With that, she stepped out of the shadows to finally reveal her identity.

It was Kagome alright. But she looked different; her school clothes had been replaced by garbs that resembled the Abi, except it was midnight blue, with streaks of black running through it. Her posture was more rigid, like a trained soldier, all senses on high alert at all times. An evil aura surrounded her form, glowing bright violet. Her lips were pulled into an uncanny sneer. But what really intrigued all of them were her eyes.

Her eyes were cold and distant, a stunning contrast to the chocolate brown orbs that were once so warm and full of life. But what was running from her eyes seemed to be the main attraction. Tears were running down her face in thick masses, though her face and attitude held no sadness.

But those tears were far from ordinary, and yet they held a frighteningly familiar color.

**

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_**A/N**_

* * *

_I'm soooo sorry about the long wait but my grandmother's dying and I had to visit her. I can't promise that I'll make it up to you guy's but I will try!_

_If you want to get the true feeling of the chapter and the song go to: ** you don't have to watch the video, just listen to the song then re-read this chapter. **_

_For those who think Kagome is OOC, she's not. The roots that were not removed properly are the sources of her pain __**not **__her own thoughts. Can't say that it's making any difference for Kagome though…_

_Also, I am wondering I spelled out the second word of Inuyasha's claw attack correctly. 'Reaper' made the most sense so I went with that, but I'm still not sure how it's pronounced. If any of you guys know it, I would be ever so thankful if you told me. I __**could **__just use the Japanese versions, but their English counter-parts just sound so much cooler!_

_Thanks to everyone who took the time to read this story so far. I promise you, the ending __**will not **__disappoint you! And to everyone that has reviewed so far, I thank you for your time, advice and encouragement…_

* * *

-feudalman

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_Disclaimer: Inuyasha belongs to Rumiko Takahashi. I claim no owner ship of the original characters in this story nor do I profit from their use. __

* * *

_

_Naraku has set the trap and Kagome is possessed. _

_All hope seems lost as Kagome approaches Inuyasha's paralyzed body._

_And what is wrong with the tears on Kagome's face?_

_**The Nightmare Continues In Chapter 4…**_

_**RETURN OF CRIMSON SORROWS**_


	4. Return of Crimson Sorrows

_**Chapter 4**_

_**Return of Crimson Sorrows**_

"_Crying is the refuge of plain women, but the ruin of pretty ones"_

_-Oscar Wilde_

* * *

_One hour earlier…_

_**It had been easy**_, _too _easy. The Jewel of Four Souls had been fully tainted once again, and Kagome lie broken from the vivid nightmares Byakuya had planted in her mind. It was pathetic really. She laid there crying her eyes out for something as useless as love. She was better off without it; he had said it before to Sango about Kohaku…

"_Warriors have no need for feelings; they would only get in the way"_

He still held firm to that belief, and this was living proof that it was true. He had entered the room quietly, but he suspected that Kagome knew he was there.

He studied her for a moment. The irony of the situation was almost funny. Before, Kagome was a stubborn, annoyingly courageous, insolent little wench, who had defied him for so long. But no more… Now she was broken and weeping pitifully because of something that wasn't even real. It was a waste, a pitiful waste to put so much time and effort into someone, when, in the end, it was never worth it. He had learned from Onigumo's mistakes. He would put her powers to far greater use. So he watched her until her loud sobs had reduced to mere whimpers, though her body shook with overwhelming grief, and thenhe spoke.

"You want him to be there for you," he whispered, though he was not denied the echoing effect of his voice that he desired, "You want him to tell you that you are loved by him, that you have his protection… You want him to hold you, as though you are the only one."

"Shut up!" she screamed defiantly, sobbing into the cold, hard, stone.

At this point he would have started to get annoyed, but he knew her resistance was crumbling; it wouldn't be long before she submitted to his will. "And yet, you feel guilty for feeling such things," he continued softly yet forcefully, "You feel as though you have no right to feel these things and you are starting to understand… that you, will mean as much as her. I bet you even feel like you deserve to die at his hand, because you are, after all, the reason why she is dead —"

"NO!!!" Kagome screeched as though in pure agony, she lifted to show her tear stained face and nearly empty eyes "I didn't kill her! I tried to save her!"

"Mt.Azusa tests the hearts of those who wander it's grounds, you were tested and took far too long, and therefore, she perished." He replied coolly

"No!" she half screamed, half sobbed, returning to the cold hardness of the floor, "No, No, No, I tried — I — NOOOO!"

She was a screaming wreck again, throwing herself against the floor, wailing; begging for the hurt to stop. "I didn't mean to! I didn't want this! I didn't…

But even as the words left her lips, the room was already out of focus, and the webs had returned. She was forced to watch, yet again, Inuyasha kill her savagely. She knew only pain, a searing pain in her heart that she was sure that would never heal. Sobbing, screaming, writhing in utter agony as illusionary death took hold once more. The next thing she knew Naraku was looking at her in fake concern. In her heart, she knew it was fake, but she accepted the pity greedily and continued to cry. Nothing mattered anymore. It was over. Inuyasha was probably glad that she was gone. He wasn't going to save her, like he had so many times before.

Naraku knew he had done it. She was helpless as a fly caught in a spider web, _his_ spider web! The time had come.

He grasped her face in his hands and said, "Surrender to me, and all this pain will go away" He didn't need to say anything else, he had thrown the bait and she had already bitten.

Kagome didn't even hesitate as she closed her eyes. Knowing instinctively what to do, she let go of her resistance,herpurity, her good will. And — in essence — sold her soul to the most wicked demon who had ever stepped foot in the world of the living.

Naraku smirked as her eyes grew cold and empty, the jewel glowed brightly with the addition of Kagome's now tainted powers.

Watching as the tears thatpoured from her eyeschanged colors,staining her cheeks red…

* * *

_**Present**_

_What the — what's going on?! How is this possible?!_ wildly thought the hanyou, _Kaou is dead! HE'S DEAD DAMMIT!! How can those tears be there?!_

It was the strangest, but scariest thing to see her looking like she had been crying for days, yet she held no sadness in her eyes, body or attitude. Her posture was that of a lethal warrior who had been fighting and killing for years. Her attitude was arrogant, cocky, and bloodthirsty. But what really bothered him was her eyes. Her eyes were cold, black, and empty of emotion, a startling contrast to the warm, loving, brown eyes that had once held so much life.

_Kagome what have they done to you_

Kagome strode forward slowly but steadily, her eyes unblinking, bow raised with a steady grasp. The only sign of weakness were the crimson tears that continually poured down her face. "Kagome!" Miroku yelled from behind the barrier, "Kagome, snap out of it! Naraku's got you under some sort of spell; don't do something you're going to regret later!

Kagome paused and for a minute Inuyasha thought she had come to, but she merely said "Do not call me by a name I do not bear"

"Then what is your name?!" Inuyasha retorted, still unable to move.

Kagome shrugged, "I have no need for something as useless as a name, my only purpose in life is to kill" she whispered.

"Kagome" whispered Inuyasha, horrified at the words that were coming from her mouth. He would have continued speaking but at that moment a voice decide to make itself heard. It boomed into the clearing, as if it came from the tree's themselves and that's what everyone would have thought, had it not been such a terribly familiar voice.

"_That's it miko, kill Inuyasha. Make him suffer for what he has done to you."_

Inuyasha was furious, what did he mean by 'what _he_ had done to her?!' It was Naraku who kidnapped kagome and turned her into this… this monster! "Naraku! What have you done to Kagome!" he roared with fury If you hurt her I swear I'll —"

"_I assure you Inuyasha, no harm has come to Kagome by __**my**__hand but that could easily be remedied"_ Naraku's disembodied voice boomed back coolly.

Before Inuyasha could ask what he meant by '_his' _hand, a small moan and a few gasps were suddenly heard. Inuyasha altered his gaze to Kagome who was now on her knees, shaking, holding the sides of her head with both hands, and eyes tightly closed. "Kagome!" yelled Inuyasha, trying to move, but still paralyzed by the arrow. Roaring in frustration, he struggled with the invisible force holding him down and he could only watch as Kagome suffered before his eyes.

An image had appeared in Kagome's head, just one image. An image of a tree, a solitary tree standing in the midst of a forest. The tree was gnarled and old looking, yet it looked sturdy and impressive. There were vines running form the base to about seven feet up. There was a figure trapped inside of the vines, but all she could make out was a triangular, furry ear. Dispersing the image from her mind, she tried to concentrate on the matter at hand… killing Inuyasha.

Looking up she trained her sights on the hanyou. She forced herself to concentrate on his silver hair, his clawed hands and feet, all of the things that made him unusual, trying to get rid of the nagging image in her head. His amber eyes, his furry dog ears that sat on top of his head, his — wait a minute… _his ears! _Kagome's eyes widened in disbelief, '_No, No that… that can't be true it — it just can't!_' But the pictures appearing in her head begged to differ.

The pain was immense, she could barely hear Inuyasha's shouts, that woman's feeble attempts to break the barrier, and that demon child's wailing. Kagome gasped, she had to get out of here! She didn't know where, but anywhere was better than here.

Stumbling to her feet she turned and ran as fast as she could, leaving the loud shouts of Inuyasha far, far behind.

* * *

Byakuya sat in a tree observing the chaos below unnoticed. He had to hand it to his creator; he was unmatched when it came to manipulating people's feelings. Kagome had easily taken down Inuyasha, and entrapped his friends in an impenetrable barrier. He watched as Kagome advanced as Naraku's voice echoed in the clearing.

Then things started to get a little strange, Kagome had collapsed and looked as though she was in pain. Observing in confusion, he witnessed Kagome hightail it out of there.

He shook his head in disbelief. Was she resisting?

No, no one had the power to resist their soul, not even Kikyou.

When Kagome's soul had become tainted with grief, the small part of her soul that had resided inside of Kikyou — the part that now sat inside of the jewel — became tainted as well giving Naraku a newly tainted Sacred Jewel. But that was only a small part of the prize for Naraku's cunning. With the jewel now fully tainted, it was once again completely in Naraku's control. Since that small part of Kagome's soul resided itself within the jewel, the miko was under Naraku's control as well. No one could go against their own soul, not even the Kami.

While Naraku's fortune was certainly sweet, the same could not be said for Kagome. Once Kagome had finished the job of killing off Inuyasha (there would be no need to kill the others, they could be easily dealt with) Naraku would kill the miko. The jewel would trap the larger part of the young girl's soul within itself and Kagome's soul would be complete. However, the consequences would be dire. She would never be reincarnated,usually that would mean eternal peace,but the act of killing the man she loved would torment her. Her guilt would ensure that her soul would remain tainted forever, binding itself to the dark side of the jewel.

Her soul would remain inside the jewel for all eternity, tortured by her painful memories forever.

But all of that came later, right now it seemed like Kagome was distracted. And distractions were inexcusable in his master's plan. So he took off after the girl who was fated to be tortured by her past for the remainder of eternity.

Inuyasha yelled for Kagome to come back but she was already gone. _What happened?_ he thought to himself, _One minute she was ready to kill me, and the next_

"Ku-ku-ku, it seems our little miko is still suffering" mused the voice of the dark hanyou.

"Naraku!!" roared Inuyasha, "What the hell did you do to her, you bastard!!!"

"It is not a question of what _I _did Inuyasha, rather what _you_ did," replied Naraku, who seemed rather smug, "It is literally by your hand that she has suffered this fate, besides you should be savoring these moments, for the worst is yet to come."

Inuyasha and the others roared with outrage and protest. "That's insane!" bellowed Miroku, his knuckles turning white from gripping his staff so hard.

"You lie!!" screeched Sango, who looked mad as hell and was continually beating on the barrier, trying to break through.

"Take it back, take it back!" yelled Shippo, who was dancing in place out of frustration of his inability to act.

Inuyasha was speechless. Never had he heard such an outrageous accusation. Granted, he could be nicer to her, and she _had_ been acting strangely around him lately. But he had _never_ done anything to cause her physical pain. Whatever was bothering Kagome it was Naraku's fault, _not _his. If only he could move, then he could find that bastard and stab a hole straight through his back excuse for a heart, with or without Tetsusaiga.

Though his instincts thoroughly agreed with that idea, his brain tried to reason with it. His plan would accomplish nothing, and would most likely end up putting himself in danger. Right now, caution was essential.

But there was no caution or reason in his being. He was consumed in anger. Naraku had taken away one of the most important people in his life, now he was threatening another one in the same exact circumstances. He wouldn't allow history to repeat itself; no way, no how.

_If only I could move_, he thought.

As if the gods had heard his silent request, his body suddenly became a whole lot lighter, and he found himself able to move.

He recovered from the shock quickly and grabbed Tetsusaiga, which he had dropped amongst all the chaos. He quickly transformed it into the great fang and looked into the forest. He wanted to mow down all of these trees, not destroy the whole forest. So he went with a precision strike. Aiming towards the place where he had last heard Naraku's voice, he screamed…

"_ADAMANT BARRAGE!!_"

The trees of the forest were cut down like paper, crumbling beneath the power of the huge diamond spears, and soon there was nothing in the vicinity of the place where he had aimed. His attack had cleaved a giant valley of destruction, but there was nothing to be seen but chipped wood and dying animals that had had the misfortune to get in the way of the Adamant Barrage.

_Nothing._

Well, if he couldn't see him, then there was nothing for it but to do this. Focusing his power, the adamant began to be replaced with dragon scales. Taking a little longer than with his other attacks, considering he was still quite new to this, he concentrated on finding the whirlpools of demonic energy, the Yoketsu.

But try as he might, he couldn't find the damned bastards Yoketsu determined that he just wasn't doing it right. He stood there for a moment searching for the white whirlpools but they refused to show themselves. Moments passed until Miroku spoke, "His voice echoed throughout the forest, yet I can't sense any malice in the area." he said, "I know what your trying to do Inuyasha, but he has escaped. You won't be able to find his Yoketsu."

Inuyasha very reluctantly put down his sword and sighed, "Why did the spells lift, Kagome couldn't have —"

"I doubt anything of the sort happened, Inuyasha," interjected Miroku, who completely understood his worries, " her concentration has wandered elsewhere, I'm sure she is safe."

Inuyasha stood straight with new resolve at the reassurance and said, "Then finding her, is our top priority."

"Right" said Sango.

Shippo looked nervous, and Miroku nodded grimly, "I agree"

"_Oh, I do not think that would be a wise descision_" came a horribly uninvited, cold voice.

Inuyasha's eyes widened with shock_, Naraku, _he thought confusedly,_ but how _—

Naraku's cold voice broke his chain of thought, "_Inuyasha, you seriously don't know what you have done to this pour soul have you? Her sorrow is so deep that she didn't even try to resist me when I invaded her mind. I would go so far as to say that she may have even wanted this_"

Now _that_ pissed off a certain hanyou. "Don't be fucking stupid!!" he screeched, "You know as well as I do that Kagome would_ never _want this"

"_True enough_" He admitted, "_but the fact remains that she willingly submitted to my darkness. No one is to blame but you_"

"Inuyasha, don't listen to him!" yelled Sango.

"You have never done anything but protect Kagome." added Miroku, "You know that Naraku's main weapon is the manipulation of people's feelings, don't fall for his tricks."

Inuyasha nodded, "Keh, you don't have to tell me twice." He said curtly.

Naraku's voice sighed loudly, "_You never see truth, do you Inuyasha? Even if it is staring you right in the face. Then again, you have always been a man of action, never thinking anything through. Maybe it would make the most sense if we stooped down to your level of thinking_"

Inuyasha let the insult roll off his shoulder (but took note of it for later) and focused on what mattered, "What in seven hells are you talking about you bastard? I think you've actually gone insane from the miasma" he said.

"_If you refuse to see the truth when I tell you_," he began with a malice coated whisper, "_Then I will show you_"

_**A/N**_

_Again, I apologize for the long wait but things have been hectic lately. My Grandmother is nearing the end and everyone is trying to say their goodbyes. Thank you to all who have been reading and reviewing, you guys have been such a great inspiration, and the reason why I have the strength to keep writing, that and the fact that my grandmother keeps insisting I finish this, always wanting me to finish what I started, lol. But I'm serious every single one of them means so much to me and because of that I would like to honor them all right here…_

_**Special shout out to: Atlanta-avalon1.1! You have reviewed more than anyone else for this story! Thank you so much, you've been so Flaming Pheonix… rainydays…Hitsugaya630…saygoodnight**_

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**AFF**

_ShadowStar666…iheartinuyasha…Walter205…nmos…Ai Kisugi_

**IY Fanfiction**

_PitaBread…angelofpurity15…blackfairy119_

**Eternal Destiny**

_Miss Marilyn69_

**FanFiction**

_Atlanta-avalon1.1__…Kurinju-sama…Island Heart…brokenchaos_

_Disclaimer: Inuyasha belongs to Rumiko Takahashi. I claim no owner ship of the original characters in this story nor do I profit from their use._

* * *

_-feudalman_

**SPOILER**

_Kagome has ran away, seeking information, on the images appearing in her head._

_Meanwhile, Naraku has a dark secret of Kagome's that he is about to reveal._

_What horrors await our beloved heroes?_

_**Find Out In The Next Chapter…**_

_**YESTERDAY'S PAIN**_


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